Always Hers
by The-Shy-Quiet-One
Summary: For as long as she can remember, Ginny Weasley has been in love with Harry Potter. Just a short, fluffy, ficlet.


Disclaimer: Characters and settings belong to JK. Rowling.

Note: Some of the scenes and dialog are taken directly from the books, but take place from Ginny's POV instead of from Harry's.

**Always Hers**

"…and do you Harry Potter take Ginevra Molly Weasley, to have and to hold, in sickness and in healthy, blahdy blah blah?... Oh, I do!... You may now kiss the bride!" Six year old Ginny pressed her lips against her beat up old Quaffle, giggling. She had shoved the Quaffle onto a tall stick from outside and stuck black yarn all over the top of it. She'd even drawn a smiley face on it and a lightning bolt scar. She jumped as her bedroom door slammed open and laughter erupted. She felt her face grow red, looking at her older twin brothers. "What are you doing!"

"What are you doing?" Fred mocked her, coming into the room and picking up the sticked Quaffle that Ginny had dropped. He looked it over and held it up to show George. "She's made herself a Harry Potter!"

"Aw Gin, you're such a girl!"

"I am not!" Ginny said, enraged. She stomped her foot, glaring up at her nine-year-old brothers. She ripped the tea towel she'd been using for a veil off of her head of messy red hair, cut so it hung above her shoulders, easier for her mother to get untangled when she could catch her. There was dirt on her face from playing outdoors earlier and her patched jeans were covered in grass stains. Obviously being called a girl was a great insult to her when she tried so hard to be just like her older brothers.

"Yes…"

"You are!" George finished, holding the Quaffle up above Ginny's head as she jumped for it, her little face getting redder and redder. Full of pure six year old rage, Ginny tackled her brother down to the floor and punched him straight in the face. Fred grabbed at her, trying to pull her off of their brother before giving up.

"Muuuuuum! Mum, Ginny's at it again!" Mrs. Weasley came rushing into the room and dragged the kicking and screaming Ginny up off of her older brother.

"Ginevra Weasley! What has gotten into you?"

"They called me a girl!" Ginny said, wiping a tear away from her chin angrily.

"But Ginny dear, you are a girl." Mrs. Weasley sighed, hugging her and rocking her gently but Ginny just pulled herself free.

"She was playing at marrying Harry Potter again."

"Girly girl."

"I am not!" She ran from the room, stomping down the stairs and out the kitchen door. She kicked the old boots sitting beside the front steps and wandered into the garden. Something flitted past her head and she gave a giggle as the fairy landed on the grass in front of her. She sat down, anger forgotten, giving the fairy a poke. It fluttered up and around her head and she followed after it, skipping along until she reached the bushes where the garden gnomes lived. Spotting one of the little potato headed creatures, she gave it a prod with her torn up shoes. The gnome yelped and broke into a run. She chased after it.

…..

Eight year old Ginny sat down at the breakfast table, pulling her bowl of porridge closer so she could reach it. She ate at it for a few minutes before her oldest brother, Bill, came into the room. "Morning Bill!"

"Hey Gin." The eighteen year old ruffled her hair and sat down beside her. The youngest and the oldest of the Weasley clan got along superbly. Ginny waggled her eyebrows at Bill and he winked. As soon as their mother's back was turned, he pulled his hoop earring out of his ear and handed it to his little sister. She stuck the ends of it into both of her nostrils. She climbed out of her chair and began head banging and playing air guitar to invisible music. Bill laughed and Mrs. Weasley spun around.

"Oh Ginny! Get that thing out of your nose!"

"But Mum, I'm a Weird Sister! I bet my Harry Potter would love a Weird Sister!" Ginny laughed and sat down to finish her breakfast, earring still up her nose. Mrs. Weasley sighed and shook her head. How she had ended up with such a tomboy of a daughter she would never know. She'd never been that boyish, but then, she supposed it must have something to do with the amount of brothers she had.

"He's not 'your' Harry Potter. I want you to degnome the garden today, Ginny. No chasing them around."

"Aw, Mum, why can't Ron do it?"

"Because it was his turn last week. You know the rules." Ginny sighed and finished her breakfast. She headed out side and kicked a few of the gnomes over the hedge before looking around. Bill would be off to work by now, Charlie was visiting a friend for the summer, Percy would be doing his homework, Fred and George would be blowing stuff up in their bedroom, and Ron would probably be reading his comics. Grinning, Ginny snuck around to the garden shed where her brothers kept their brooms. She grabbed out Fred's and headed up the little hill to the orchard where they never let her play with them. She mounted the broom and took off, taking apples off the trees and tossing them in the air.

"And it's Weasley with the Quaffle! She dodges a Bludger, swerves around all the other Chasers… she shoots… she scores! Ten points to the Holyhead Harpies! Oh! It looks like Weasley may have seen the Snitch!..." Ginny rolled on the broom, diving and grabbing another apple off of a tree. She held it up into the air. "Weasley's caught the Snitch! One hundred and fifty points! Harpies win! 160 to zip!"

…

"You'll never guess who we just met!" George announced on Platform 9 ¾ .

"Who would that be, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, rubbing her handkerchief against Ron's nose, attempting to get the dirt off of it before she sent him off to school. She would not be judged as being a poor mother just because her son had a bit of dirt on him.

"You know that kid who was hanging around us in the station? He's Harry Potter!"

"Ooooh! Oh Mum! Can I go see him! Please Mum, can I!" Ginny begged, feeling as though her heart was about to burst out of her chest at the very thought of actually meeting the one and only Harry Potter. She'd fantasized about him for years now, ever since she'd heard his story when she was quite small. "Please Mum?"

"No Ginny. I wondered why he was all by himself... Poor dear."

"Think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

"Don't you dare go asking him questions like that! He's been through enough as it is!"

"Pleeeeease Mum!" Ginny begged further, tugging at her mother's hand anxiously.

"You've already seen him Ginny."

"Can't wait to see your future husband again, eh Gin? Remember when she was littler George?"

"The Quaffle with the face. And all those weddings…" George laughed, prodding his little sister who turned red and looked at her feet before punching him back. "Such a girl…"

"Am not!"

…

Ginny dug under her bed searching for her hair brush. Upon finding many things, but not a single sign of her hairbrush, she sighed and made her way downstairs to ask her mother. She stepped into the kitchen and she just about fainted right there. Harry Potter… THE Harry Potter was sitting at her family's kitchen table… She let out a small squeak and bolted from the kitchen and back up the stairs to her bedroom. She couldn't believe it! Harry Potter! Here!

Flopping down on her bed, Ginny squealed into her pillow and kicked her legs in absolute glee. And oh! She'd just embarrassed herself… made a fool… in front of him. She felt her face heating up with redness. She wouldn't be able to show her face downstairs until the boys were gone… She heard the door slam down below and peeked out of her window. What luck! They were heading out into the garden… she would probably have just enough time to eat her breakfast and then scurry back up stairs to hide.

Ginny scampered down to the kitchen. "Mum, have you seen my hair brush?" She grabbed up some toast and started devouring it quickly.

"Hmm… I think it was in your top drawer, dear." Mrs. Weasley stated, not turning around.

"Ok, thanks mum!" Ginny bolted from the room again, taking her toast with her. If Harry Potter was in the house… she would have to look her best, she decided. She quickly pulled the brush through her unruly hair, getting it sleek and shining before pulling it back with a blue hair band. She put on one of her rarely worn dresses, a blue one… she always looked best in blue. Looking at herself in the mirror she nodded. Her face was still red and she had too many freckles, but she looked pretty enough.

Footsteps on the stairs sent her back into shock. Ginny moved to the door, opening it slowly and peering out through the crack she had created. And there he was! Harry Potter! And.. and he was looking at her! Panicked, she shut the door quickly and turned her back, sliding down the door, a small hand to her chest. Oh, she could die right now and be content! Harry Potter had LOOKED at her!

…

Ginny nervously hugged herself around her middle as she stared up into the black, yet still see-through eyes of Tom Riddle. She was so impossibly in shock that he had come out of her diary that she couldn't speak. He was sneering at her, his smile scary… not as friendly as she would have hoped. Tom had been her friend… why was he doing this to her? Before she could as though, she felt herself get incredibly dizzy… and then the world was black.

Ginny moaned and gave a whimper as she came to, her eyes opening. She was still here in the Chamber of Secrets… but something was different. Where was Tom? She sat up and heard footsteps behind her. Spinning her head around, she stared at the huge dead snake lying on the floor, leaking its own blood. She gulped and shifted her eyes… Harry. His robes were absolute soaked and sticking to his body with… was that blood dripping off of them? She eyed the diary in his hand and finally, she gasped and broke into sobs. "Harry – oh, Harry! – I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy – it was me, Harry – but I – I s-swear I d-didn't mean to – R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over – and – how did you kill that – that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary – " Ginny sobbed harder. She had to make him understand… that she hadn't meant to do any of it. Riddle made her!

"It's all right. Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon Ginny, let's get out of here – " Ginny sniffled, looking up at the diary Harry held up… it had a huge old hole in it. He reached down, and she took his hand. If she hadn't been in so much shock, she might have fainted at the fact that he was actually touching her. As soon as she was to her feet, she began sobbing harder. She wasn't usually one for crying, but she was just so… so scared still. She was going to be in so much trouble.

"I'm going to be expelled! I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and – w-what'll Mum and Dad say?" She rubbed at her eyes with dirty hands as she followed after Harry. He had a sword and… and was that the Sorting Hat?... dangling from his belt. They were being led by a big red bird, it had to be a phoenix. They went down the tunnel. Ginny could hear rock being moved around and Harry spoke again.

"Ron! Ginny's okay! I've got her!" They turned a bend and… there was her older brother! Ginny felt a swooping of relief swell up inside her at the sight of Ron's messy, pale face. She gave another sob as Ron pushed his arm through the gap in the rubble.

"Ginny!" Ginny grabbed hold of Ron's arm, gripping onto it very tightly and allowed him to help her through. She made it through and wrapped her arms tightly around Ron's chest, crying against his dirty robes. He hugged her back. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How – what – where did that bird come from?"

"He's Dumbledore's."

"How come you've got a sword?"

"I'll explain when we get out of here."

…

Ginny sighed, flopping down onto her bunk. They had just returned from the Quidditch World Cup and she was tired. Looking across the tent at Hermione who was sitting in an armchair with a book (she liked to read a little before bed), Ginny gave an even bigger sigh and her best female friend looked up. "Hermione, what am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked curiously, setting down her book and looking at the thirteen year old.

"I mean… How am I ever going to get Harry to like me? He treats me kind of like Ron does, nothing more than a little sister. I've tried everything so far! That poem on Valentine's day a couple years ago… that was a really bad day… and playing Quidditch with the boys."

"Well…" Hermione sighed, pondering her friend's question over in her head. What exactly should Ginny do? She thought back to what her mother had always told her and smiled a little. "Well, just be yourself."

"Be myself? Hermione! That's a load of codswallop!"

"What I mean is, let Harry get to know you as Ginny, instead of as 'Ron's sister'. Give him time to see the real you. In the meantime, you could try dating some other boys."

"What? You mean… take myself off the market? Hermione, if I do that, then Harry will think he can't have me and…"

"And what a boy can't have, he wants all the more." Hermione grinned at her. "And honestly, haven't you ever thought about chasing a boy that wasn't Harry for a change?"

"Well, no. It's always been Harry. He's the only one for me." Ginny swooned, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest before rolling over on top of it.

"But how can you be so sure about that if you haven't tested the waters a bit?"

"I suppose… but if it fails, I'm blaming you for giving me false advice."

"It'll work. Don't you worry."

…

Ginny swooped through the air, dodging the Bludger that was aimed for her head and snatching gliding herself up and over the Ravenclaw Chaser who was coming straight at her. She spun around in midair, searching the sky for the Golden Snitch. Normally she would be a Chaser, but what with Snape giving Harry detention for using some crazy dark magic spell on Malfoy, she'd had to step in as the reserve. She'd done it before though, last year when he'd been kicked off the team by Umbridge. Poor Harry. He just kept missing the end of season games didn't he?

A flash of gold and Ginny streaked after it, as Ravenclaw scored their fourteenth goal. She could hear Luna saying something about the clouds, and Professor McGonagall interrupted her with a simple, "Three hundred to one hundred forty, Gryffindor."

Ginny flew higher, keeping her eyes trained on that glittering gold ball. She urged her broomstick to move faster, her red hair streaking behind her. She was so close… so close… She reached her hand out… and she had it! The Golden Snitch! She let out a cheer and held her hand up, flying around the pitch as her team converged on her in excitement. McGonagall's voice could be heard above the noise. "GRYFFINDOR WINS THE QUIDDITCH CUP! FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY TO ONE HUNDRED FORTY!"

The team landed and Ginny felt herself lifted up onto shoulders. Ron was whooping, and Hermione, whom she had been a bit peeved with the day before was running along beside her, screaming cheerfully. Ginny could forgive her… after all, she'd only been being Hermione. The Gryffindors carried her and the rest of the team all the way up to the castle. They all trampled up to the Common Room, hollering in pure joy at their victory for the third year in a row (they didn't count the year when the Triwizard Tournament had taken place instead of Quidditch).

In the common room, somebody showed up with food and drink and they whooped and hollered some more, relating stories about the match to one another in a crazy frenzy of pure happiness that could only have come from winning the Cup.

The portrait hole opened and Harry was pulled in by screaming people, wanting their Captain, the guy who had coached them well, to join in on their joy. They didn't mind that he'd been forced in to detention anymore. They had won!

"We won!" Ginny saw Ron lift the Cup into the air with one hand, waving it over his hand to show Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"

Ginny couldn't help herself. As soon as she saw a clear path, she ran to Harry, her arms outstretched. She flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly about the neck, so overcome with the thrill of it all that she did not even notice she was kissing him until her hands found their way up into his hair. They broke free of one another after what felt like only seconds, or had it been forever? She didn't care, all she wanted was to kiss him again… but the room had gone silent. Everyone was staring at them. Then someone gave a wolf whistle so loud it broke the silence. Other people mimicked the whistle before there was some rather nervous sounding giggling. Ginny thought she heard glass break and turned her head to find her most recent ex-boyfriend, Dean Thomas, holding a broken goblet in his hand. She looked over at Hermione who grinned at her slightly smugly, as though to tell her that she'd known it would happen eventually. And then Ginny turned to look up at Harry, but his gaze wasn't at her. She followed it to find him staring at Ron, as though he were asking him permission to be snogging his baby sister. But, even if it wasn't ok with Ron, Ginny would show him what was what. Harry was hers now. But Ron, his mouth wide open looking quite stunned, just gave his head an approvable nod. Of course. If anyone was going to be allowed to date the only Weasley girl with all of her brothers' approval, it would be the guy she'd been after since she could walk, Harry Potter.

Harry's eyes found hers and Ginny grinned up at him brightly, brown meeting emerald. He nodded his head toward the portrait hole and she just about laughed with excitement. She grabbed his hand and just about dragged him out of there for some privacy. They had a lot to talk about… or maybe just a lot of snogging to do to make up for time lost.

…

Ginny turned her head to look at Harry as the funeral for Dumbledore broke up and everyone began rising from their seats. She could see it in his eyes…. She knew what was going to happen the moment he opened the mouth. She was not the least bit surprised.

"Ginny, listen… I can't be involved with you anymore. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together." Ginny felt the oddest of emotions. She wanted to laugh, for she had been right, but then, her heart was breaking at the same time. Instead, she smiled, strained and twisted, trying so hard not to laugh.

"It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. Maybe… maybe she could convince him otherwise. To stay with her.

"It's been like… like something out of someone else's life, these last few weeks with you. But I can't… we can't… I've got things to do alone now." Ginny held Harry's gaze as he spoke to her, and she absolutely refused to cry. Dumbledore dying was something she could cry about, but this? This just seemed to pale in comparison. "Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get me through you."

Ginny felt anger rising in her chest now, overlapping the heart ache. She stared at Harry and gripped his hands tightly, her voice fierce, words bold. "What if I don't care?"

"I care. How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral… and it was my fault…" Ginny sighed and turned her face away from him now, looking over at the lake. He'd be broken… she knew it. She just hoped… maybe… when he was done fighting he'd come back to her. Her mind flitted back to the conversation she'd had two, almost three years ago with Hermione.

"I never really gave up on you." She admitted to him, her eyes returning to his face. "Not really. I always hoped… Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more – myself." She watched as he seemed to be struggling to make himself smile. Of course, she didn't blame him for not being able to. This was very serious business they were talking about.

"Smart girl, that Hermione. I just wish I'd asked you sooner. We could've had ages… months… years maybe." If only. Ginny sighed, her mind still reeling. She allowed her laughter to mix into the words that came out of her mouth next.

"But you've been too busy saving the Wizarding world. Well… I can't say I'm surprise. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn't be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that's why I like you so much." Ginny hoped he would respond to her words, but he was Harry after all. Instead, he turned his head, looking at Ron and Hermione before he shook his head and rose from his seat, disappearing into the crowd of witches and wizards gathered for the funeral. As soon as he was out of sight, Ginny allowed herself to put down her brave face and burst into tears. She rose from her seat and ran, pushing through the crowd, back up to the castle, feeling very much like someone had stabbed her in the heart. So much for hoping he'd listen to her.

…

Ginny buried her face deeper into her pillow, wishing the sun would just go away. She rubbed at her face, salty from the tears that poured from her eyes quite often now. Much more often than they used to. She'd spent a good part of the summer in her bedroom, refusing to leave it, much to the bewilderment of her mother. Normally Ginny was outside in, playing Quidditch or tormenting the garden gnomes by chasing them about threateningly instead of tossing them over the hedge. A knock came on the door. "Go away."

"Gin?" Ron peered into the room where his sister lay in her messy bed. The sheets and covers were crumpled beneath her, the curtains draw, but the sun still shining through them. "Um… We're going to be leaving to pick up Harry in a bit. I just thought you'd like to come see us off… in case…"

Ginny rolled over with another sigh. She sat up, still in her pajamas… a pair of short cotton shorts and a tank top. She looked up at her brother and the words of his unfinished sentence passed between them. Neither of them needed to say that someone they loved could be killed tonight. She nodded. "Yeah… I'll be down in a few minutes." Ron nodded back at her and shut the door behind him as he left. Ginny climbed out of bed and went to her dresser, tugging out clean clothes. She wiped her face down and untangled her hair, making herself presentable. No one else need know she still had a broken heart. It would be better if she looked like she was fine when Harry showed up as well.

…

Ginny heard voices, male ones, coming up the stairs accompanied by the footsteps she recognized as Ron's thumping ones, Hermione's smaller ones, and Harry's somewhere between the two of them. Much like she had when she was eleven, Ginny opened her bedroom door, but she held it open fully this time, not shying away. "Harry, will you come in here a moment?" Nervous, she watched as Hermione dragged Ron up the other stairs by his elbow and she stepped back into her bedroom. Harry followed in after her and she closed the door behind her.

Harry was looking around her room and she realized he'd never seen it before. She watched his eyes flitted from her posters to her desk, and her window. She stepped towards him and looked up into his face. She'd been waiting for this moment. Taking a deep breath she said, "Happy seventeenth."

"Yeah… thanks." Ginny stared at him, her gaze locked onto the face and eyes she loved so much, but Harry's eyes were flitting away from her, at the window. He pointed. "Nice view."

Oh! That was so Harry to change the subject. He was nervous… she could tell by the way he was looking anywhere but at her. She plucked up her Gryffindor courage. "I couldn't think what to get you."

"You didn't have to get me anything." Ginny ignored him, feeling his statement was less than purposeful in this conversation. The one she had been planning for a long time now.

"I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you." Ginny took a step towards him and she saw him glance at her before averting his eyes once more. "So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing." She tried not to laugh at herself, telling him what she was actually worried about. What if he did find some other girl on this adventure he, Ron, and Hermione were planning?

"I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest." Ginny's heart soared and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Her voice came out as a whisper as she stepped even closer to him, tilting her head back to look at him properly. "That's the silver lining I've been looking for." She raised herself up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. She felt him melt into her and gave a slight sigh, glad he wasn't pulling away from her as she had half expected him to. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him harder. She needed him to know just how much she loved him. How very much she needed him to come back to her.

The door slammed open and she could have killed Ron as she broke away from Harry, startled. "Oh. Sorry." No he wasn't. Ginny could tell he wasn't the least bit sorry at all for interrupting what might be her last chance to be alone with Harry.

"Ron!" Hermione had followed him, obviously having tried to keep him from coming in but having failed miserably. She looked at Ginny apologetically. Ginny took a step away from Harry and sighed, turning her gaze to the floor, dejected.

"Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry." She turned her back to them and listened as they all left the room. She sniffled, letting the tears fall… and then the door closed behind her and she spun around to bury herself in the safety and security of her bed.

…

Ginny slipped down the girls' stairs of Gryffindor tower, her feet almost silent on the scarlet carpet. She had slept in her old familiar four poster bed, the Gryffindor tower untouched by the war that had ended just yesterday morning. She sighed, flopping down into a chair beside the empty fire place. The house elves were probably resting as well. It had been a hard battle for everyone, though she tried not to think about it. The hole in her heart that represented Fred, Tonks, Lupin, and the others who had been killed during the battle was knawing at her. She wanted to cry, but it would be pointless to do so.

"Ginny?" She turned her head around and looked up into those bright emerald eyes, so full of the sadness and loss she, too, was feeling. Without another word, Ginny lifted her arms to him. Harry bent down and hugged her tightly, and before she knew what was happening, he was lifting her up out of the chair, and then pulling her down into his lap. She cuddled up to him, burying her face against his neck as he hugged her so very close. "Ginny… I…"

"I knew… I hoped… you'd come back to me." She whispered and then his lips were on hers and the world was spinning.

…

Ginny stared up into Harry's emerald eyes, so full of joy. She couldn't believe this was happening, couldn't believe that all her dreams were finally, at last, coming true. "I do."

"And do you, Harry James Potter, take Ginevra Molly Weasley to have and to hold, in sickness and in health…."

"Oh, I do!"

* * *

Yay! I hope you quite enjoyed that as much as I adored writing it! I decided to take a little break from my other story and do something a bit different. Let me know what you thought of it! I would love to hear from you.

Love always,

S.Q.O.


End file.
